


Come Hell (We Hold Our Debts To Be Self Evident)

by aHostileRainbow



Series: Mostly BAMF: A Collection of Small Fries Kicking Ass (Literally or Figuratively) [17]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst, BAMF Sanji, Drama, Family, Vinsmoke Family Drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-11 09:48:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11145939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aHostileRainbow/pseuds/aHostileRainbow
Summary: Sanji breathed. He wasn't expecting to. That last shot reduced the ground around him to dust and rubble, as it should have done him, but somehow - oh.Smoker's blurred features loomed above him. Maybe people did breathe in hell.





	Come Hell (We Hold Our Debts To Be Self Evident)

Sanji breathed. He wasn't expecting to. That last shot reduced the ground around him to dust and rubble, as it should have done him, but somehow - _oh_.

Smoker's blurred features loomed above him. Maybe people did breathe in hell.

Sound assaulted him all at once around Smoker's barking voice and he finally noticed heat, blood dripping onto his forehead when he shakily raised his hand into view. Then weight, too much, trapping his other hand and his entire left side. A holly bush, green and red, when he tipped his head - _Zoro_. Zoro was bleeding from a lot more than one arm.

The weight vanished as he watched, Zoro slung over Smoker's shoulder, a grim smirk around double cigars. The vice admiral turned away and Sanji was abruptly certain of two things: none of them were dead yet, and he was definitely not too hurt to hand this bastard his own ass, cussing the whole way.

By the time he wavered onto his feet, standing didn't even feel that ambitious and Smoker had only made it about ten feet.

"Oi, asshole! Hand over the marimo before I put my foot so far down your throat you'll feel it in your dick."

The asshole glanced back and laughed. Sanji shook off the lingering vertigo, hopped up in the air and brought his heel down on the ground where Smoker had been standing hard enough to fracture the cement into a spiderweb of instability. Only three feet back, the asshole winked.

"Gonna have to do better than that. But careful, you could have hit your dear nakama with that kick and I assure you, he would not survive that in this state. Hardly the way to repay a man for saving your life."

Sanji flushed first, then paled, eyes burning and pocketed fists trembling.

"What the hell do you want?"

A raised eyebrow, "Want? And why would I want anything from _you_ , Black Leg? You're a disgrace."

Sanji sneered, ounces of hate he hadn't thought he had to spare rising, reapportioning themselves just for this smug dick, "You think I can't recognize a negotiation when some asshole tries to bluff me? I've known the best liars in the world and you don't even make the top ten. So before I decide any risk to the marimo is worth it to rearrange your face with my foot, you'd best _say what you want from me_."

For a moment, too many emotions crossed that pale face for Sanji to parse, and then they were gone and the expression left behind was...strange. Familiar in some way, but he couldn't figure out how. The Marine's eyes were intent, his mouth a neutral line -

"You know you need only order me, Black Leg, to get all that you want. That is all that _I_ want. Give me a formal order, and your swordsman will live."

Luffy's shouting was now audible far behind him, Nami's screeching, Chopper's fear. Smoker's grip had shifted to Zoro's neck. Everything was input. Sanji felt like a machine, cold and stiff and soulless, processing the world in snapshots of fact: Robin's hands rising out of the ground behind Smoker - _too slow_ \- Luffy's fury looming at his back - _impotent_ \- the near silent click of Usopp's rifle sighting, settling - _too late, too late for Zoro, too late for Sanji_. If Smoker, a vice admiral, had recognized him, been sent to create this mess just to draw him out, it was already _too late_.

They would find him. They knew he was alive now and they would hunt him if he refused this first overture, they would hunt everyone he'd ever known, they would hold them, torture them, if he was lucky they would kill his nakama quickly. And Zeff - the old man would have no warning. They would hold him responsible for so much of Sanji's mess -

No. As Black Leg Sanji, Strawhat Cook, there was nothing he could do to protect the people he loved now. Just Sanji would never have enough power.

This would kill him, or kill something vital in his soul.

It wasn't even a choice.

Ignoring his nakama at his back, even ignoring Zoro's limp form, Sanji let the warmth inside him slip away. Every defensive, humane affect he had gathered and hoarded, worn like fur over his cold, northern skin. He hardly recognized his own voice, but suddenly he recognized Smoker's intent expression: fanaticism. His family did tend to inspire it, one way or another.

"Marine Smoker, as the last heir of Vinsmoke I order you to return Roronoa Zoro to me and withdraw your forces from this island. You are not to engage any Strawhat pirate or protectorate further."

Power, everything about being Vinsmoke was about power - his tone, his posture, his aura, Sanji let them reshape him and the devoted thrill in Smoker's face nearly made him nauseas before he snarled out his last warning, "Do remember, Marine: Vinsmoke debts are always repaid in kind."

A little of the color dropped from Smoker's face, but it wasn't enough. Watching the man set Zoro down and bow to "the young master," Sanji doubted any pain the man suffered after this could be enough. But he would be thorough.

Dismissing the officer, Sanji stalked to Zoro's side, pressing for a pulse. It was weak, but stubborn.

"Chopper, get over here," he barked, and as soon as the reindeer had Zoro loaded into Luffy's arms, he turned to Robin, plainly unsurprised but pale. For the first time in what already felt like days, Sanji let his voice soften, "You need to get them out of here. _Please_ , don't try to argue, do whatever you have to, just get them as far from this place as you can. If we're lucky, it'll take them a day to reach me and once they have me I can keep them distracted. Keep a low profile, as much as possible, until things blow over. I'll send a warning to Zeff, but if you could check in on him in the next few months," Sanji choked, "I would be in your debt."

The sorrow in her face was too much, but he matched her stare steadily until she bowed her head. A weight lifted from his shoulders, a heavier one settled on his back. Chopper had herded Luffy back to the ship and his medical supplies with Zoro, not a minute to waste on questions, but Nami and Usopp were gaping at him and Robin.

There were a lot of things he'd never wanted to explain to his nakama. As usual, his family didn't give him a choice.

 


End file.
